Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Compound Found to Fight Cancer

By Dr. Lorna Mistranski

The acai berry extract triggered a self-destruct response where in 86 percent of the cases it destroyed leukemia cells where this information was originally printed and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Acai berry provides a rich source of antioxidants which are key to fighting harmful radicals that can lead to cancer. The study was important in showing the importance of reasons why the acai berry should be part of a daily diet.

Please note that this study was not to show hat the properties in the acai berry can cure leukemia in humans.

The results were never intended to raise any false hope of a cure for leukemia as the trials were performed under the cell-culture model. The findings still are very promising. Cases have shown that compounds that prove well in a cell-culture model have also done well when tested on humans.

Antioxidants have not been directly proven to fight cancer cells in the human body because of other factors such as biochemical processes. However, research has shown that fruits such as guavas, grapes, and mango's' have antioxidants that have been known to kill cancer cells as well.

Acai berry must be consumed shortly after they are picked which is why so little is known about them. The process of being able to maintain the valuable qualities is so new that very little research has ever been done on this fruit.

Acai berrys are produced by a palm tree known scientifically as Euterpe oleracea, common in floodplain areas of the Amazon River. When the berry is ripe, it is purple and about the size of a grape. It's contained in a thin layer of an edible pulp surrounding a large seed.

Historically, Brazilians have used acai berries to treat digestive disorders and skin conditions. Acai berry can help in reducing weight, lowering cholesterol and gaining more energy.

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